No choice
by claudia1
Summary: A conversation between two old friends in a place they call Joes Blues bae


Disclaimers: they're not my characters. Both of them belong to other people.   
There is a comfortable sized bar that goes by the name of Joe's blues bar. The bar itself is in a town called Seacouver. Seacouver was an average sized town. The only odd thing about the town was its tendency to attract immortals and many of these immortals were crazy. Where there were immortals their watchers were not that far behind them. In Joe's Bar at this very moment sat Joe himself and a very old friend of his. They were having a conversation over a very old bottle of whisky that Joe had been saving for such a time as this.   
  
"I'm waiting," Joe said  
  
"For what?" his friend replied.  
  
"For you to start talking," Joe answered  
  
"I do believe that is what I am doing," he replied  
  
"I want to know why you have come here after all these years. What has bought you back to America?" Joe said curios to know the reason why  
  
"I'm visiting an old friend," his friend replied.  
  
"Bullshit," Joe stated  
  
"It's the truth," his friend said in a defensive tone of voice  
  
"Don't lie, you could never lie to me and get away with it. I have known you for far too long," Joe said  
  
"How is the bar going?" asked the man trying to change the subject.  
  
"The bar has been doing quiet a good business lately, don't try and change the subject old man," Joe answered knowing what his friend was up to.  
  
"It's hard to explain," the man replied  
  
"It can't be that hard if you have travelled across the ocean to see me," Joe said knowing how much his friend hated to fly.  
  
"It's an old friend," his friend replied taking a sip of his whisky  
  
"Which one," Joe asked  
  
"The one from my days in the civil service," he replied  
  
"Ah, what about him," Joe said. So that what is on his mind. He always used to talk about him so much.  
  
"His dead," his friend stated  
  
"Permanently? Joe asked wondering if he was an immortal  
  
"No his an immortal now," his friend said with relief in his voice  
  
"This is the same guy you worked with for five years before you faked your own death. Did you know he would become an immortal," Joe asked  
  
"Yes, I knew when I first clapped eyes on him," his friend said a little sadly  
  
"You could have told him Will," Joe said as he took another sip of his whisky.  
  
"It would have changed him to much. He would have acted differently in dangerous situations while he was still a mortal," Will said as he refilled his and Joe's glass with more whisky  
  
"Was it that important for you not to tell your friend that you were an immortal," Joe asked  
  
"At the time it was very important," Will said  
  
"Now, his an immortal what are you going to do," Joe asked curios to know  
  
"Nothing," Will replied  
  
"Yeah right. Your going to sit back and ignore it all are ya," Joe said knowing damn well that Will wouldn't be able to sit back and do nothing.  
  
"I can't interfere," Will answered in a firm tone of voice.  
  
"Yes you can," Joe said  
  
"No, I can't," Will snapped  
"Yes you can. You just don't want to," Joe answered  
  
"You think I don't want to say hello sunshine how have you been for the last 18 years. Oh, by the way I'm so sorry a dozen bullets shot me and you had to watch me die in front of your very eyes," Will snapped.  
  
"He would understand if you explained it to him," Joe said  
  
"He wouldn't," Will said. Not knowing if his friend would even believe who he said he was.  
  
"You don't know until you try," Joe said  
  
"I can't drop in on his life like that. It would be too much for him take," Will answered worried about his friends reaction to his sudden re-appearance after so many years of letting his friend believe he was dead  
  
"Write a letter then," Joe said  
  
"That's even worse Joseph," Will answered  
  
"Go and visit his grave," replied Joe  
  
"His not dead," Will said as if he was stating the obvious  
  
"That's not what I meant. Doesn't every new immortal these days go and visit there grave," Joe asked wondering if this was true  
  
"Most of them do," Will said  
  
"Well go to his grave then," Joe said  
  
"It's a rather morbid thing to do Joseph," Will answered.   
  
"Would your friend go to his own graveside?" Joe asked   
  
"The friend I knew would," Will answered with warmth in his voice.  
  
"Go and pay your respects then," said Joseph knowing how Will felt about his old friend from the civil service days.  
  
"No, the past is better left alone," stated Will  
  
"Do you know where he is now? Joe asked curios to know as a watcher  
  
"Yes but you must know where he is as well," Will said  
  
"I maybe a watcher but that doesn't mean I know were your friend is old man," Joe said  
  
"His found a teacher," Will said  
  
"Already," replied Joe. Surprised at how quickly Will's old friend had found a teacher  
  
"Yeah, he was always quick of the mark," remarked Will  
  
"Do you know who the teacher is? Joe asked. If he found out who the teacher was he could put it on file.  
  
"Yes I do," Will said  
  
"Who," Joe asked  
  
"Its that kid called Methos," replied Will, knowing how most immortals and watchers regarded Methos  
  
"Methos, he rarely takes on a pupil," Joe answered in a surprised tone of voice  
  
"Why is this Methos so special?" Will snapped  
  
"His the oldest immortal around," Joe said  
  
"No he isn't. You and I both know who the oldest immortal is." Will answered with a wry smile  
  
"Shouldn't we let Methos in on the secret? Then he wouldn't have to look behind his shoulder so much," Joe said  
  
"No, keep the kid in the dark," replied Will.  
  
"We should at least tell your friend," Joe said  
  
"No I'll tell him," replied Will.   
  
"No you won't. You'll just go back into hiding again," Joe said knowing damn well that if Will's secret ever got out. He would never see his old friend again  
  
"I promise I won't this time," Will said  
  
"How about we arrange a meeting. Methos told me he would drop by the bar later with his new pupil. Your friend would be pleased to see you wouldn't he," Joe said hoping that this would keep the old man in town for a while longer  
  
"It would be a shock to his system," Will said  
  
"So, I'll arrange a meeting," replied Joe quickly  
  
"Yeah just don't make it so obvious Joseph," Will said. He didn't want the meeting to seem like a set up of some kind.  
  
"Do I tell Methos who you are," Joe said hopefully.  
  
"The kid doesn't need to know I just want to meet up with his pupil," Will said anxious to meet his old friend again  
  
"I'll arrange it for later on tonight. How long are you in town for," Joe asked  
  
"Another day at most. I've arranged to meet the cow while I'm in America," Will said  
  
"The cow? Joe asked.  
  
"His my old boss form the civil service days," Will said. He was the only person I ever told the truth to Will silently thought to himself.  
  
"Did you hear about Connor? Joe asked changing the subject  
  
"No what happened?" Will said curios to know what had happened to the elder highlander  
  
"His dead," Joe simply stated  
  
"No he isn't" Will answered.   
  
"I watched him die," Joe said as he let the grief slip into his tone of voice.  
  
"OH," Will replied cryptically  
  
"Come on spit it out old man. How much and what do you know about Connors death," snapped Joe  
  
"What I tell you, you are not to tell anyone else. Connor isn't dead. He is a different kind of an immortal. Do you remember the gathering of the early 1980's? Will said  
  
"Yeah, it turned out to be a fluke," Joe said remembering the all the trouble the fake gathering had caused  
  
"It wasn't a fluke," Will said  
  
"Your telling me a gathering actually happened," Joe answered as he took a mouthful of whisky straight from the bottle.  
  
"Yeah, it resulted in Connor wining the prize. As a result he can never die," Will said surprised that Joe did not know the truth about Connor  
  
"I have to let Duncan know," Joe said. He knew that Duncan was having a lot of trouble dealing with the part he took in his cousin's death  
  
"Joseph why do you think Connor has stayed dead. His stayed dead for peace. Why would he let everyone know he was still alive after being beheaded? Everyone would want a piece of him," Will said  
  
"How do you know all this? Joe asked.   
  
How did Will know if none of the watchers knew the truth about the gathering and Connor  
  
"Connor, his an old friend," Will simply said  
  
"He wouldn't mind you telling me all of this," Joe asked wondering why Will had told him anything about Connor  
  
"Your not going to tell anyone else are you Joseph," asked Will  
  
"Maybe," Joe said. He after all hadn't made his mind up yet  
  
"Well if you tell anyone it won't make a blind bit of difference. Once Connor has gone underground nothing Will bring him up for air," Will said as if he was talking to a small child  
  
"UI won't tell anyone his alive then, but at least tell him what Duncan's going though," Joseph said concerned for the other immortals mental well being.  
  
"I'll tell him, but he already knows Joseph," Will said  
  
"Are you telling me that Connors been watching us all while we grieve for him," Joe said  
  
"His been keeping an eye on Duncan, making sure he doesn't do anything to stupid or suicidal," will said  
  
"Why doesn't Connor just come out of hiding and tell Duncan his still alive," Joe said  
  
"Why should he Joe, just to make Duncan feel a little bit better about himself? Its better this way," Will said  
  
"Better for who," Joe asked  
  
"Duncan," will answered  
"Drop by the bar at around eight. Methos and your friend should be here about that time," Joe said  
  
"The kid and my friend aren't known for their great time keeping skills. I'll come by around nine," Will said as he got up from the chair  
  
"I'll see you later then," Joe said as he got up form his seat to shake Will hand  
  
"Oh and Joseph, do not ring up Duncan and tell him about Connor as soon as I've walked out of the bar," Will said as he shook Joe's hand  
  
"I promise I won't," answered Joseph  
  
"Joseph I Will hold you to that. See you alter old friend," Will said as he left Joe's blues Bar  
  
"Goodbye old man," Joe said to the Wills retreating back.  
  
2 hours later. 


End file.
